“What’s the question you just asked?” Shohei Otani was “unexpectedly irritated” during a press conference… An American reporter reveals the surprising true face of the “World’s Otani”

The fact that he rarely reveals what kind of person he is or what he thinks about makes him an interesting person. What many fans don’t know about Ohtani as a person is how rarely he speaks or interacts with the media. But fans are satisfied as long as they can see Ohtani play. As long as he’s doing that well, it doesn’t matter whether he talks to the media or not. When it comes to players like Anthony Rendon who haven’t played much due to injury, if he doesn’t say anything, the fans will notice. While covering the Angels, I realized how much Ohtani is loved by his teammates. Normally, if Otani didn’t respond to the media like he does, and instead people around him were asked questions about Otani almost every day, I think some people would dislike him. However, when it comes to Ohtani with the Angels, that was not the case. I think that’s why everyone around him respects him. When I watch him on the field or on the bench, I see Ohtani always telling jokes and looking like he’s having fun. When it comes to the way he interacts with reporters, I feel that he chooses his timing even when it comes to making casual greetings. Usually they treat us like we don’t even exist. He learned how to say “hello” and “goodbye” in Japanese and tried using them when he passed by. Then he turned around and started laughing. You can walk up to other players and talk normally, but Otani doesn’t really have the chance to interact properly, so I was moved by the small amount of interaction he had with other players. Otani treats players like normal people, but he doesn’t try to interact with us in the media unless it’s something really important. That’s why I was so moved when he approached me. Because of his job, he doesn’t get nervous or have any special feelings when he sees baseball players around him. But when Otani heard me say “Sayonara” in Japanese and said “Perfect,” I was so happy, “Okay, I impressed him!” Otani is mysterious and difficult to understand. However, if you look at his small interactions, you can see it. When Lucas Giolito was traded to the Angels, the two were about the same height and I saw Ohtani trying to guess Giolito’s height. I think Giolito was a little expensive. I heard from Lars Nootver in St. Louis that when he texted Ohtani, “Do you want to go out for lunch?” Ohtani replied, “Sleeping.” It was funny. After all, if you replied to a text message, it means you’re awake.Otani doesn’t seem to go out when he’s on a road trip. He only travels between the hotel and the stadium by bus. I guess he doesn’t want to be seen. Even if it’s just a lunch with friends who fought in the WBC together. It can’t be helped because he’s one of the few superstars in baseball. I heard that Otani and Nootbar eventually met somewhere after that. I think Tani has a good sense of humor. His press conference will begin by answering questions from local media in English, before moving on to questions from Japanese media in Japanese. I also stay at Japanese media press conferences and listen to the exchanges, and the questions are different and interesting. Japanese reporters listen to detailed technical information. For example, you might say, “It seemed like your hands were about 3 centimeters lower than usual.” After five or six questions like that, I try to ask a slightly different question. Because I want to see how he reacts. When the Cubs came to Anaheim for an away trip, Seiya Suzuki said, “Even if I ask you to teach me baseball, he won’t teach you anything at all.I call him Stingy Valley.” I used to call him that,” and he laughed and said something along the lines of, “I’m not good enough at batting to be taught to others.” However, I felt that he understood humor from his facial expressions and tone of voice. I also like messing around with Ippei the interpreter. When Ippei put on the helmet, he said something like it didn’t look good on him. Sometimes he shows that playful side. I think that smiling faces also give a positive impression. And very polite. It doesn’t get aggressive. During the All-Star Game, many reporters asked about him becoming a free agent after the season. I also tried to ask that question directly. I couldn’t hear it at the time, but when I listened to the audio recorder later, I heard him muttering, “What’s that question?” I didn’t realize that I was irritating him at all. Japanese athletes often have a strange relationship with Japanese media. They are more concerned about how they are perceived in their home country. I guess they don’t care what American reporters like me and Sam write in English. My friends and family in Japan also read Japanese articles, so I think there is a somewhat tense and cold relationship with Japanese reporters. Japanese reporters always joke about how warmer Otani appears on camera during games compared to how he treats them.Article, image: Bunshun Online